Origins 22 - Genealogy & History

Origins 22 - Genealogy & History Unlock Your Family's Hidden Story with Our Genealogy Services! Everyone & everything has a story, what’s yours?🦉

Station Platform, Tulbagh, 1895🦉
11/08/2026

Station Platform, Tulbagh, 1895🦉

Gizmo the Gremlin🦉
10/08/2026

Gizmo the Gremlin🦉

Noot vir Noot🦉Few South African television programmes have had the longevity of Noot vir Noot. The Afrikaans musical qui...
10/08/2026

Noot vir Noot🦉

Few South African television programmes have had the longevity of Noot vir Noot. The Afrikaans musical quiz show first appeared on SABC television in 1991 and went on to become the longest continuously running television game show in South Africa and Africa.

The programme was created by Johan Stemmet and his production company, Stemmburg Television. Stemmet was both the presenter and a central figure behind the programme for almost three decades. The title Noot vir Noot is a play on words, meaning both “note for note” and, in Afrikaans, a musical note exchanged for a banknote.

A major milestone came on 27 July 2016, when Noot vir Noot celebrated 25 years on air. By 2014, the programme had already broadcast its 600th episode.

After presenting the show from its beginning in 1991, Stemmet retired as presenter in January 2019. The programme continued with a new era when musician Emo Adams became host. The revamped Season 44 premiered on 15 August 2019. Rochelle de Bruyn, better known as DJ Shelly, became part of the new format, providing musical clues in place of the former band, while Stemmet continued behind the scenes as a producer.

More than three decades after its television debut, Noot vir Noot remains an important part of South Africa’s Afrikaans broadcasting history.

The Story of Hillbrow🦉Hillbrow began as open veld north of central Johannesburg during the early development of the Witw...
10/08/2026

The Story of Hillbrow🦉

Hillbrow began as open veld north of central Johannesburg during the early development of the Witwatersrand goldfields.

On 13 July 1893, a court ruled that the land that would become Hillbrow belonged to J. Nicholls. He sold it to Transvaal Mortgage, Loan and Finance, with which businessman Sam Goldreich was associated. The land was surveyed in 1894, and on 20 May 1895 permission was granted for the claims to be converted into residential stands.

Hillbrow Estate was advertised for auction in June 1895, with 466 stands offered for sale. The original suburb was smaller than the area later known as Hillbrow, covering land north of Pretoria Street and east of Banket Street. It was intended to be residential, with restrictions placed on shops and drinking establishments. The original title deeds also contained racial restrictions typical of the period.

By 5 March 1897, Hillbrow was under the Johannesburg Sanitary Board. Houses were built rapidly, turning the former veld into a residential suburb. Horse drawn trams later connected Hillbrow with other parts of Johannesburg.

The German community established an important presence in the area. A German school had been started by Pastor Kuschke in 1890, and a purpose built Deutsche Schule was constructed in Hillbrow in 1897. It became an English school during the First World War, but German classes resumed in 1920. The school eventually moved to Parktown West in 1969. Friedenskirche, the German Lutheran Church, was built opposite the school in 1912.

Hillbrow also has an early connection with the Royal Johannesburg Golf Club. Its first course opened behind the hospital in February 1891, near the area that later became Clarendon Circle. It lasted only about two months before the club moved to Jeppe.

During the 1920s, multi storey buildings began replacing some houses. The major transformation came after 1946, when Johannesburg City Council removed building height restrictions. This led to a rapid expansion of apartment construction during the 1950s and again during the late 1960s.

Modernist architecture became a defining feature of the suburb. Buildings such as Von Brandis Heights, completed in 1952, incorporated international architectural influences and helped give Hillbrow its distinctive high rise character.

By the early 1970s, the number of flats had begun to exceed demand. Over the following decades, Hillbrow underwent major demographic and social changes. Many of its original houses had disappeared, replaced by apartment buildings and commercial development.

The South African Bank That Collapsed🦉Saambou Bank was a South African financial institution that began in 1942 as Unie ...
10/08/2026

The South African Bank That Collapsed🦉

Saambou Bank was a South African financial institution that began in 1942 as Unie Bouvereniging. It later became Saambou Bouvereniging and grew into one of the country’s larger banking institutions.

In 1970, Saambou merged with Nasionale Bouvereniging and became Saambou Nasionale Bouvereniging. The organisation went public in 1987 through Saambou Beherend and later operated as Saambou Bank.

For decades, Saambou was closely associated with housing finance. By the early 2000s, however, the bank was experiencing serious financial problems.

In February 2002, reports questioning Saambou’s financial position triggered a major run on the bank. Customers withdrew about R1 billion in deposits within two days. The resulting liquidity crisis placed the bank under severe pressure.

The Registrar of Banks subsequently placed Saambou under curatorship. Branches were closed and restrictions were introduced on withdrawals while the authorities attempted to manage the situation.

First National Bank, part of FirstRand, acquired significant parts of Saambou’s business. This included its traditional housing loan book, consisting of about 60 000 accounts valued at approximately R8 billion. FNB also acquired around half of Saambou’s low cost housing loan book.

Saambou’s shares were suspended from trading on the JSE in 2002. The bank never recovered and was eventually liquidated in 2006.

The collapse of Saambou remains one of the most significant banking failures in modern South African financial history. It demonstrated how quickly a loss of confidence can turn liquidity problems into a banking crisis, even for an established institution.

Groote Schuur Hospital, 1938🦉Groote Schuur Hospital, located in Observatory near the University of Cape Town, is one of ...
10/08/2026

Groote Schuur Hospital, 1938🦉

Groote Schuur Hospital, located in Observatory near the University of Cape Town, is one of South Africa's premier medical facilities and a globally renowned institution. The hospital gained international fame when, in December 1967, Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the world's first successful human heart transplant on Louis Washkansky, a patient suffering from heart complications due to diabetes.

The name "Groote Schuur" is Dutch for "great barn," a nod to the settler farm that once occupied the site during Cape Town's early colonial days in the 1600s. The hospital, painted in off white and styled in a neo-classical architectural design, is set against the scenic backdrop of Devil’s Peak.

First commissioned in 1938, Groote Schuur Hospital has a rich history of medical excellence. By 1984, due to increasing demands and advancements in medical care, the hospital underwent significant expansions, adding two new wings while preserving the original building. This historic building now houses several clinical academic departments and "The Heart of Cape Town Museum." The museum honours the groundbreaking heart transplant and celebrates the advancements in medical science that have saved countless lives globally.

As a government funded teaching hospital, Groote Schuur is a vital training ground for medical students from the University of Cape Town. These students, often in their final clinical training phase, benefit from the mentorship of highly experienced medical professionals. The hospital's commitment to education ensures a high standard of patient care, with admissions typically requiring referrals from primary or secondary healthcare providers.

The University of Cape Town, consistently ranked among the top universities in Africa and globally, contributes to the hospital's reputation as a center of medical excellence. It attracts many visiting medical students, residents, and specialists from around the world, who come to gain experience and knowledge in various medical fields.

The Shackleton That Landed in the Sahara, 1994🦉On the night of 13 July 1994, South African Air Force Avro Shackleton MR....
10/08/2026

The Shackleton That Landed in the Sahara, 1994🦉

On the night of 13 July 1994, South African Air Force Avro Shackleton MR.3 1716, known as Pelican 16, was flying from Cape Town to the United Kingdom when it was forced to make an emergency landing in the Sahara.

The aircraft had been restored to flying condition for an appearance at the Fairford Military Air Tattoo. While crossing the Sahara, engine No. 4 was shut down because of overheating. Engine No. 3 then caught fire and was shut down. Both engines eventually developed problems with their propellers, creating severe drag and leaving the aircraft unable to maintain altitude.

At about 02:00 on 14 July, the crew made a forced belly landing approximately 14 km from the Western Sahara - Mauritania border. The Shackleton struck rocky ground before sliding about 243 m. All 19 crew members survived.

The crew used orange flight suits and life rafts to form the message “19 OK” on the ground. A French Navy Atlantique II operating from Dakar spotted the signal later that day, allowing the crew to be located and rescued.

Pelican 16 was abandoned in the desert and remains near Zouérat, Mauritania. The wreck has since become a notable relic of South African military aviation.

The Origins of the Fourie Surname in South Africa🦉The Fourie surname in South Africa is closely associated with Louis Fo...
09/08/2026

The Origins of the Fourie Surname in South Africa🦉

The Fourie surname in South Africa is closely associated with Louis Fourié, a French Huguenot who arrived at the Cape in 1688. He was born around 1669 in Dauphiné, France. His name appears in historical records in several forms, including Faurité and Fourié, before the spelling Fourie became established at the Cape.

Louis was a French Protestant who left France during the persecution of the Huguenots under King Louis XIV. He first made his way to the Netherlands, where he became associated with the Walloon Church in Amsterdam. Church records from December 1687 record him as “Louy Faurite pour le Cap”, indicating that he intended to travel to the Cape.

Louis arrived at the Cape in 1688 and became a farmer in Wagenmakersvallei, the area that later became Wellington. In 1699, he received a grant for the farm De Slange Rivier. He also acquired other land during his lifetime and became established as a farmer at the Cape.

Louis married Susanne Cordier, with whom he had ten children. After her death, he married Anne Jourdan in 1716. They had another eleven children, giving Louis a total of 21 children from his two marriages.

Through his children and later generations, the Fourie surname became established at the Cape and spread into other parts of South Africa.

The Fourie surname has consequently been part of South African history for more than three centuries.

Boer farmers taking the oath of neutrality at Greylingstad during the Second Boer War, circa 1900.🦉
09/08/2026

Boer farmers taking the oath of neutrality at Greylingstad during the Second Boer War, circa 1900.🦉

A train accident near Norvalspont, 3 July 1972 - Die Burger 🦉
09/08/2026

A train accident near Norvalspont, 3 July 1972 - Die Burger 🦉

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